No Burr Oak reforms amid political bickering

July 15, 2009

SPRINGFIELD -- State lawmakers left the State Capitol until the fall without addressing promised reforms of the cemetery industry spurred by the discoveries of disinterred remains at the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip and political jockeying in the 2010 governor's race may be a factor.

Quinn said he didn't want lawmakers to act in a "haphazard" way and wanted to make sure any reforms were comprehensive and effective. The governor is proposing his own Cemetery Oversight Task Force on Thursday, a Quinn aide said.

Senate President John Cullerton had promised a Senate vote on Hynes' package of reforms on Wednesday, including licensing requirements for cemeteries, mandated record keeping and maps of cemetery plots, and maintenance and tougher criminal penalties.

Hynes had acknowledged that the legislation involved a complicated issue and senators ended up holding a hearing but failed to advance any bills.

Sen. Emil Jones III, a Chicago Democrat whose district includes Burr Oak, said he agreed to delay potential legislation after a variety of interests raised issues about how to best deal with reforms in the cemetery industry. But Jones also said he felt slighted that he was not asked to help develop Hynes' reform package.

Jones, however, was quoted in a Hynes' news release touting the package and a Hynes' aide said the lawmaker met with the comptroller about the legislation.

But Hynes said that after talks involving the Senate's Black Caucus, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, state's attorneys, county recorders and Rev. Jesse Jackson, "everything was lined up" until Quinn "decided to move an amendment that basically threw a wrench in everything and killed the bill."

"We were hours away from having legislation pass both chambers and a signature away from having a law that would have regulated cemeteries immediately," Hynes said. "We have nothing."

Among the changes proposed by Quinn would to take Hynes' office out of the business of overseeing perpetual care funds at private cemeteries and turn it over to one of the governor's state agencies.

Quinn denied legislative reforms got caught in a political battle.

"I am for a tough law, a law that can be passed by the House and Senate," Quinn said, adding that members of his family, including his father, have worked for cemeteries.

"I don't want any politician or anybody to say that I'm not committed to making sure that the atrocities that were committed at Burr Oaks aren't completely investigated and anyone who perpetrated those crimes brought to justice," Quinn said. "I want to make sure in Illinois we have a system of regulation of cemeteries that is sound, that isn't haphazard, that is complete."